Rolling Stone readers pick top 10 Prog albums of 1970s

[Facelift]

Yep what I understood from what I read about the scene, the order of 70s popularity for the top groups with prog pedegree was more like ELP, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull then Yes, King Crimson and finally VDGG, Genesis who were well behind...

Genesis were well ahead of VDGG in terms of popularity. They had surpassed King Crimson in that regard by the end of 1973, I'd say.

[raconteur troubadour]

Funny thing is I still read it, but not for anything music!.

An example of their non-musical writing that shines, the article on Aaron Hernandez:
http://www.rollingstone.com/feature/...-in-the-huddle

[Progmatic]

Genesis were well ahead of VDGG in terms of popularity. They had surpassed King Crimson in that regard by the end of 1973, I'd say.

For sure. It is all timeline and regionally dependent. Btw, VDGG were inactive between 1972 and 1975. I guess it would not help much their popularity. And King Crimson was in the mode of reinventing themselves in a major way every single album.

[Trane]

Yep what I understood from what I read about the scene, the order of 70s popularity for the top groups with prog pedegree was more like ELP, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull then Yes, King Crimson and finally VDGG, Genesis who were well behind...

Genesis were well ahead of VDGG in terms of popularity. They had surpassed King Crimson in that regard by the end of 1973, I'd say.

And they'd even Caught up Yes by the ATTWT album

[NeonKnight]

I never even heard of VDGG until I started coming here.

Don't think I missed all that much, come to think of it....

[Facelift]

I never even heard of VDGG until I started coming here.

Don't think I missed all that much, come to think of it....

I hadn't heard of VDGG until I read Macan's prog book in the later '90s. I'm not in the UK, though.

[Rufus]

And they'd even Caught up Yes by the ATTWT album

I'd argue they had progressed from being a cult band to global recognition by Trick of the Tail . Prog was still a popular genre in '76. It just never happened for them during the Gabriel era . Certainly not in the major league like Yes ,Tull ,Floyd,ELP & KC . I even remember bands like Uriah Heep being much bigger than Genesis in terms of press exposure,ticket and album sales . They were more well known in the school playground i.e. graffiti on satchell's, pencil cases, desks etc .You were more likely to see someone carrying an Heep album than a Genesis one !

[Progmatic]

I'.You were more likely to see someone carrying an Heep album than a Genesis one !

I think that comparison is little bit apples and oranges..though Heep played few prog tinted tunes they mostly appealed to hard rock crowd that even in 70s had bigger fan base than prog...

[Rufus]

I think that comparison is little bit apples and oranges..though Heep played few prog tinted tunes they mostly appealed to hard rock crowd that even in 70s had bigger fan base than prog...

I think Heep appealed to both as they did have elements of both Prog & Rock in their arsenal ! Dont get me wrong , Genesis were big & well known as where Camel , VDGG ,Focus ,PFM et al . But even if you look at annual polls in the music press of the day they were always dominated by ELP ,PF ,Tull,KC along with the likes & members of Zep & The Who .

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

I never even heard of VDGG until I started coming here.

Don't think I missed all that much, come to think of it....

indeed, I had not even heard of them until they were dead and gone. Genesis were quite popular by TotT though

[Mick]

Certain UK regions had bigger fanbases of particular groups back then than others... every band named so far had their specific area strongholds, while the bigger names became nationally known during the seventies... their names spread into areas of Europe and eventually to the States.
The lesser known bands followed in the wake of the biggies... and established their own small strongholds outside the UK via festivals or airplays on regional radio.

Fact... Nektar was scheduled to open for Led Zeppelin at Wembley Empire Pool in 1972, but at the last moment Peter Grant (Zep manager) decided to use "Budgie", who were on Zeps' record label. Around the same time, Genesis and Nektar were optioned for grabs for a big promo boost, but Genesis got it... and the rest is history. That's another reason Nektar stayed in Germany, where we had already established huge strongholds and could easily headline German festivals.

[Rufus]

Certain UK regions had bigger fanbases of particular groups back then than others... every band named so far had their specific area strongholds, while the bigger names became nationally known during the seventies... their names spread into areas of Europe and eventually to the States.
The lesser known bands followed in the wake of the biggies... and established their own small strongholds outside the UK via festivals or airplays on regional radio.

Fact... Nektar was scheduled to open for Led Zeppelin at Wembley Empire Pool in 1972, but at the last moment Peter Grant (Zep manager) decided to use "Budgie", who were on Zeps' record label. Around the same time, Genesis and Nektar were optioned for grabs for a big promo boost, but Genesis got it... and the rest is history. That's another reason Nektar stayed in Germany, where we had already established huge strongholds and could easily headline German festivals.

Budgie have never opened for Zep & were on the MCA label, or a subsidiary of it !

[Gladiator1634]

I'd argue they had progressed from being a cult band to global recognition by Trick of the Tail . Prog was still a popular genre in '76. It just never happened for them during the Gabriel era . Certainly not in the major league like Yes ,Tull ,Floyd,ELP & KC . I even remember bands like Uriah Heep being much bigger than Genesis in terms of press exposure,ticket and album sales . They were more well known in the school playground i.e. graffiti on satchell's, pencil cases, desks etc .You were more likely to see someone carrying an Heep album than a Genesis one !

I agree at least where I grew up on Long Island. Up until The Lamb Genesis fans were far and few between. We seem to be in our own little world. When ATOTT came out the entire high school was suddenly into Genesis and most of the new comers had not idea that they just lost a lead singer by the name of Peter Gabriel. This popularity led to them to play MSG on the W&W tour.

As much as I love and feel that that KC is probably the most progish of them all I feel they never achieved the same level of popularity as Yes, Tull, Floyd, ELP and Genesis who all eventually played the big arenas during that time period. Something I'm not sure KC could have ever pulled off.

[Mick]

Budgie have never opened for Zep & were on the MCA label, or a subsidiary of it !

Sorry, yooz right, it was actually "Bronco" and it was 1971 (November 20th). Stone the Crows were second openers, Bronco were first up. We were there on full access passes, courtesy of Mr. Grant, but neither Nektar nor Bronco were on any posters or tix as that final decision wasn't made until the 18th, two days prior. As for the label and decision, Bronco had something going on with Swansong, Peter Grant or Rikki Farr at that time, plus they were a "simpler" band to open, wheras we had that damn lightshow etc....lol.

I knew the name began with a B... I shoulda checked my diaries before I replied... my bad!
.... and has anyone ever heard of Bronco since?

OK... back to the subject matter... the top 10 prog albums of the 70s.

[Calabasas_Trafalgar]

Not surprising, the readers of RS seem to only be aware of 5 bands...

[Calabasas_Trafalgar]

Pink Floyd was psychedelic and experimental at the beginning. But starting with Meddle they are definitely Prog. I always tough the top 5 in prog were Floyd, Yes, Genesis, K.C and Tull. No?

And starting with The Wall they were AOR.

[Scott Bails]

.... and has anyone ever heard of Bronco since?

Not since O.J.

[Bucka001]

For sure. It is all timeline and regionally dependent. Btw, VDGG were inactive between 1972 and 1975. I guess it would not help much their popularity.

VdGG were inactive for almost three years between '72 and '75, and this was an important time for a lot of prog bands who made great headway in terms of rising popularity during that period. So that definitely didn't help VdGG's cause. But the main hindrance for that band was their inability to tour the States. That's why so many U.S. Americans say they never even heard of them until they came to this site. The group had a big enough following in Europe in the 70s, even in the U.K. where they never had a 'hit' but were still in the magazines, on the radio (John Peel, etc), and played decent-sized theaters / auditoriums. In the U.S. it was a strictly way- underground following although the following was big enough to sell out their one U.S. show at New York's 2,000 capacity Beacon Theater in '76.

'Making it in the States' was seen as as a big key to things by most bands that had career aspirations back then.

[JJ88]

Rufus is wrong about Genesis again. We have previously pointed out that even with Peter Gabriel they achieved three Top Ten albums in the UK on the trot. That makes them one of the most popular prog acts of the time, only a handful charted consistently better, I would say Yes, ELP and Floyd.

Certainly Uriah Heep did not, only ever having one Top 10 album here. And King Crimson commercially peaked with Greg Lake.

[Rufus]

Rufus is wrong about Genesis again. We have previously pointed out that even with Peter Gabriel they achieved three Top Ten albums in the UK on the trot. That makes them one of the most popular prog acts of the time, only a handful charted consistently better, I would say Yes, ELP and Floyd.

Certainly Uriah Heep did not, only ever having one Top 10 album here. And King Crimson commercially peaked with Greg Lake.

Globally Genesis with Gabe never made the major league , even here in the UK .
As for UH , look at the size of the venues they were playing in, including headlining major european festivals !

Get over it , Focus were bigger than Genesis if you want to base it on top ten albums !

[DGuitarist]

side topic: Probably true although the only issue I have with a lot of fusion bands and their associated musicians is that they just can't play simple . Its interesting to note that I have hired musicians over the years (drummers mainly) who were excellent jazz and fusion players. A lot of these guys looked down their nose at other styles of music as "beneath them" ( I am sure many readers here have met the type) but they just couldn't play a simple AC/DC style drum beat without (A) doctoring it up with a bunch of overplaying crap or (B) deliver it with Rock authority. Theres nothing worse than an AC/DC drum beat riddled with flowery jazz ride cymbal accents ...... In some ways, I almost can respect a musician's elitest attitude if they have the command of their mind to not overplay their instrument on songs that don't require it....but its amazing how many players I have met that actually struggle to play three minutes of straight 8ths on a hi-hat with quarter note kicks and snare on the two and four with neanderthal authority and not doctor it up with non-essential bullshit. If they can train themselves to play a lot then they should have the command NOT to play.......Many musicians practice notes but forget that "rests" are notes, too

</soapbox>

back to topic

One of the best things I've ever read on PE.

I AM that guitarist, and play exactly what was originally played. And I understand that silence is indeed a note, as well.

[Rufus]

Are you not going to acknowledge the facts I've pointed out then? You seem hell bent on keeping to this notion that nobody liked PG era Genesis when it is proven to be false. True, they were no more than a cult in the US then but that goes for most prog bands, and certainly the more maverick figures like Gabriel, Hammill etc. They were big in Europe even then.

You make it up as you go along . When did i say or even imply nobody LIKED Gabriel era¿ Post the link ¡

[DGuitarist]

"...he's making it up as he gooooooooooooooooes along!"

- Python, Monty. Brian, Life Of

[NorCalKurt]

Descent list. Rolling Stone still sucks.

[NogbadTheBad]

Descent list.

It starts at the top and goes down to the bottom?